


School can be a magical place (if you give the magic a chance)

by JAKishu



Series: Little Sherlock 2 – William returns [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bad Parents, Breakfast, Fights, Gen, Good Parent John, Mr. Bee, School, Tea, William - Freeform, de-aged Sherlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAKishu/pseuds/JAKishu
Summary: Sherlock is a child, again and like every child little William need to go to school.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Series: Little Sherlock 2 – William returns [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1296659
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	1. The new pupil

**Author's Note:**

> It´s a long time hope you enjoy it

Breakfast should be a relaxing part to start into the day, at least when you ask John Watson. Today he had at least three near and two complete breakdowns before his lips could taste the first drop of his morning tea. Sherlock or better the six year old version of his flatmate, still calling himself by his first name William had fought him on every step. From the point of getting up, dressing, breakfast in general and everything in between. Now finally dress in his new school uniform, washed and packed up is William nibbling on a piece of toast. The small victories are the one that counts. John would never tell the child that is was comforting for him that somethings never change.

Today is William´s first day in school, Mycroft made it happened as John asks for it. As the acting parent (John still couldn’t believe how that had happened) was it his job to make sure William gets to be a child and for children his age is it mandatory to go to school, as he had to explain AGAIN this morning. William wasn’t happy about the whole situation, including school but it wasn’t only that, he also believes John had ignored his existence for three horrible years and that no one wants him. The boy had already made more bad experience in school in the few days of his first childhood that he had started to push away everything that could offer comfort, as John, uncle Mycroft or Mr. Bee.

John sighs; this will be a long day. Without a word John offered William his daily dose of the substance that keeps his flatmate a child, sadly for his own safety. Until Mycroft had found a way to make sure Sherlock was safe again on London´s streets. The angry look in William´s face tells John that without his outburst two minutes ago he would have had another fight about the pills but even a man as patient as John Watson reaches his limits somewhere between getting a wet sponge into his face and his favourite mug being a victim to Williams temper outbursts.

As it was finally time to go William takes his backpack and pulls it over the floor while passing John. He stops and looks up. “Please John I don’t want to go. There is nothing the teachers in that stupid school can teach me.” Another sighs escapes John, this wasn’t the first time he heard that sentence, not even today.

“There are other things you have to learn that have nothing to do with the curriculum.” John lays his hand on William´s back and starts pushing him out of the door to the waiting car. Mycroft had offered it and John was glad he accepted it this time. William was mumbling something. “What was that?” He questions.

“Social skills are useless and I don’t need them.” They take their seat and put on the seatbelts.

“Oh, I thought you knew about all the other things. Of course social skills are important and can help you later but there is so much more you can learn. I mean you are a genius. Isn´t there something else you could learn? I know a lot of things you could and haven’t mentioned jet.” John hopes his voice doesn’t sound too teasing, he wants to help find something positive about school, not making it worse.

William looks away from the window and the passing city. It looks like he is really thinking about it. “Can you tell me a few of this things?”

Feeling that the first real victory was about to arrive this morning, John takes another second to let the small boy wait. “For example you can start today with figuring out all the jobs your classmates parents have. I mean you can tell lots of things at a person but by watching their children are a bit more difficult. To confirm your findings you have to talk to the child but you can´t just walk over to a child and ask what their parents work. That would be too easy. You have to make them give you information you haven´t ask for, offering information without knowing is a very important conversation tool and can be very helpful later on.” John finally looks down at William. “Do you see there are many things you can learn and when you have mastered them I will help you find new things to learn.” He smiles at the child next to him and silently apologises to all the children and teacher in the school he just declared as test subjects in one of William experiments but what else is there to do. “Do you think you can try to be in this school and try to learn something, even if nothing the teachers teach at the school is new for you. I trust you to find something that can occupy your mind and maybe you will find out that not all children are stupid or mean.”

William offers John a small smile. “I will try John.” The ´for you´ wasn’t said but filled the silence in the car.

* * *

Maybe John was right and he could give school another try, John was often right. Uncle Mycroft told him that John is something like a parent for him and that he should listen to him, respect him and be a good boy. The sad thing is that Uncle Mycroft didn’t need to say that. The few weeks he had spent with John three years ago had showed him what parents are supposed to be like.

At the gate William was welcomed by his homeroom teacher and is lead to his class. On the way to the building William turns around and sees John waiting and waving. More than his own parents ever did. That is another reason why he is sure that after school John would wait for him to pick him up, as he had promised. Smiling, William waves back and enters the school for his first day.


	2. The Principal

_A few days before …_

John is nervous and the reason is very simple, he is going to lie to someone, with false documents and all. Still he has no choice. He had decided that Sherlock, or better William has to go to school because the only idea he came up to make the boys second childhood as normal as possible was that, school. Mycroft supplied him with documents from his fake former school. All lies but what can you do when the real childhood was 30 years ago. Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, John enters the school, alone. William stays at Mrs. Hudson´s flat for the time and sadly, Mr. Bee is still upstairs. John hadn’t found the right words to make William take his friend back for good.

The principal waits for him. After the recommendation letter from someone like Mycroft or better a person with Mycroft´s job opens a lot of doors. During the tour where John was shown around every part of the school and was told every bit of positive information about this place the two men find themselves in the principal´s office to talk about William´s curriculum. With William classified as a genius the school offers special classes for students like him but also see the necessarily to include the child in a class with children his own age. John is very happy about this, most likely one of the reason Mycroft picked this school for his little brother. He can see that the principal is also very happy to have someone like William, it always good advertisement for a school to have children like that. Makes them look better in the public. At least that’s the reason John can think off.

The only thing left is to make school sound like fun for William. That will be fun …

* * *

As John arrives back at Baker Street he is welcomed by William who was in a bad mood (again). What the hell had happened to him to make him like that in only three years. The problem of Mr. Bee is a whole other thing but before that William had been happy at Mrs. Hudson´s. He loved her and her tea and cake and everything. Mycroft had told him about the bad experience in school but that couldn’t be the only reason for this behaviour. Another point on the endless growing list of things he wants to fix, to make William´s life better.


	3. Shopping

After his conversation with the principal and being welcomed home by an unhappy William, John decided that they would go shopping. Mycroft gave him a golden credit card. He didn’t ask what limit it had, he doesn’t need to know that he could basically buy an island with that without getting his credit history checked.

William is holding his hand as they enter the underground tunnel system to get to the shopping centre where he can get the measurement done for the school uniform and they could buy all the other school supplies they need in the shops close by.

John tries to remember how he felt about going to school, he must have been excited. At least he thinks so, he liked playing with other children, his friends and neighbours. All his book he got from his sister, the books had ugly marks on them, and she had written in them but his uniform was great, he loved the colour. He had a favorite pencil, all new and only for him. That was the best. Maybe he can find something like that for William too.

* * *

After being done with the uniform, John is taking William´s hand again. He doesn’t want to lose the child in the busy street and knowing Sherlock, he is pretty sure William gets as easy distracted as his roommate and that would end in a catastrophe.

“William do you want to get your books first or something to eat. We can also look for some other books.” William who hadn’t liked the uniform at all was still sulking but hearing the word book did the magic.

“Books! Books first. Can we by some story books too. I don’t know where my copy of Treasure Island is. I love the book and we can get one about mushrooms, we could go to a forest and search for mushrooms and Mrs. Hudson promised to cook something with them but only when I don’t touch any poisons ones. Please can we?” It is fascinating to watch the mood change like a light switch.

“We can get all what you want, your room is still too empty. We have to change that.” After the book shop they would stop for some chips or something and then go looking for a bag and all the other supplies.

* * *

John hadn’t thought that going to a book shop would end in this. William wasn’t able to decide which books he wants, they stayed three hours and they end up with two books about mushrooms, one about insects, a book about bees, one about a man who is a bee keeper, a copy of Tresure Island, 4 other classic literature books, a cooking book (John has no idea what William wants to do with it) and 7, SEVEN books that figured the school live of primary students. William just said he needs to do research. Maybe he should start introducing him to the internet. On second thought maybe better not.

The credit card is accepted and a very happy shop worker gives John two very heavy bags. “John can we go home now. I want to read my new book. I have to do research before school starts. I have to be prepared.”

First we need get your bag and a few other supplies. You need the right equipment but first lunch, we need lunch. What would you like.” John looks around, searching for a nice place and finds an Italian restaurant. Not Angelo´s but you can´t have everything. Right now he has a pleasantly happy William. “We could get some Pizza form over there.” John nods to the place and William begins to walk to the door.

“After lunch and the bag and the other supplies we go home, right?”

“Yes after all that we go home. You can do your research and we can get your school bag ready for your big day. Does that sound like a plan?” William´s huge blue eyes look at him and he nods. A win. Not bad for the first week of parenting.


	4. First day

William doesn’t feel nervous about getting into a new class, he is excited. John provided him with many fun ideas to spend his time, he also gave him a smart looking school bag. The bag is made off brown leder and has none of the stupit cartoonish picutres William distasted on his old one. He isnt really sure why John is buying all this stuff for him all his old stuff should be at his parents house. No need to spend money on him like that.

It also seems like John has some special credit card, he calls it. John showed him many things over the weekend, like his laptop or his phone. These are all great devices but he will ask his parents later why they don’t have things like that in their house. Maybe it´s a London thing or a city thing in general. They have many old things at their house, like the old horse carrage or the oven in the kitchen that only the cook is allowed to touch because it´s so old. He will ask Myc later why his parents are against new things. Hopefully John let him call his brother at the boarding school but it´s not likely. Uncle Mycroft and John told him they have new rules at the school and Myc isn´t allowed to call at home during the semester.

His teacher leads him through the door to his classromm, her name is Miss Cambell and she has a nice smile. She also broke off her last relationship resently and brought a new bike but William doesn’t say it out loud. John told him to find out if something is true by investigating and conversation, where the people tell him the things he wants to know without them knowing that he is checking his findings. That will be fun. He can use one of his new note books to write down his results.

Miss Cambell stands in front of the class. “Good morning children. Today we have someone special here. Our new classmate William Holmes.” Most of the other pupil smile at him, wave their hands or start talking out loud to ask him questions. “William why don’t you sit over there at the empty seat, nect to Colin. Colin you can show William everything he needs to know, that’s a very important job to do. We all want for Willam to feel welcome.” Colin smiles and nearly falls of his chair as he jumps up and waves at William.

“Over here. Here is your seat.” Proud to get a special task his new classmate is overexcitet. William walks over and sits down. “Hi, I´m Colin. Let´s be friends.” A huge grim apears on Colin´s face, showing of a missing tooth.

William looks at his classmate. Parents devorced, two older sisters, a dog, no two dogs and he is in a soccor team. “Hi, Nice to meet you.” William doesn’t know what else to say but thankfully Miss Cambell takes the need for more away.

“We will start our day with a story.” The teacher says and opens a book and starts to read. William watches as his classmates listen to every word of the story. It is most likely a task they do more often. William doesn’t know the story but it´s an interesting one so he listens to his teacher´s voice. Analysing every pupil in his class has time. John told him he will be here for a long time.

* * *

The bell calls for the end of the day and somehow this had been the best schoolday in William´s short life. It wasn’t so much the topics of the lessons, although a few were strangly different from the things his old teacher had taught them. Together with Colin, William fit in without problems. He had already get one of the girls, her name is Ashley, to tell him that she has piano lessons since three weeks by telling her that he plays the violin. He also got Colin to tell him about his last soccer game. It was really easy to confirm informations by talking to his classmates.

“Are your parents here to pick you up?” Ashley asks. “My mother is waiting for me over there.” She points at the gate where more than one parent waits for their children.

“My dad is here today. It´s his week.” Colin tells them. Confirmed divorce.

“John promised to pick me up. He is my guardian.” William looks over to the gate and can´t see John at first until a very big man steps beside to great his daughter. There he is. John waiting for him at the gate as he had promised. “John.” William waves and starts running over towards him but he turns around midway. “See you tomorrow.”

Wide grimming William jumps into John´s arms. “I see you had a great day. Are these your new classmates?”

“Yes Colin and Ashley. I will tell you all about them. I need to write today´s results in my notebook and I have homework to do.” John smiles and puts him down.

“Great let´s head home. I want to know everything.” John takes William´s hand and they start walking back to Baker Street. A warm cup of tea waiting for them.

**Author's Note:**

> little warning, updates will be slow.


End file.
